The US nuclear regulator has informed Mitsubishi Heavy Industries that a final ruling on design certification of its Advanced Pressurized Water Reactor (APWR) is now likely to be made in 2015 and not in 2014, as previously expected. The delay follows structural changes made to the design by the vendor.
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) did not conduct a sufficiently detailed analysis of issues related to its decision to extend the time that used nuclear fuel can be temporarily stored onsite at power plants, an appeals court has ruled. The NRC must now conduct additional environmental studies and reissue the ruling.
An additional $10 million in funding has been approved for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to complete its review of the licence application for the Yucca Mountain repository. Last year, the NRC shelved the review after funding was slashed.
Areva's EPR reactor is unlikely to receive design certification by the US nuclear regulator before the end of 2014, the agency has told the reactor vendor. Design certification for the EPR had earlier been targeted for June 2013.
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has agreed to extend the operating licence of the single-unit Pilgrim nuclear power plant in Massachusetts for a further 20 years. Meanwhile, the expected completion of the NRC's review of Progress Energy's combined construction and operating licence application (COLA) for its Levy plant in Florida has been revised.
The operating licence for Energy Northwest's Columbia Generating Station in Washington state has been extended for a further 20 years by the US nuclear regulator._86x48.jpg "Charlotte, North Carolina (Chascow) 86x48")
Mitsubishi Nuclear Energy Systems has formally opened an engineering centre in Charlotte, North Carolina. At the same time the town has played host to the Nuclear Energy Insitute's annual Nuclear Energy Assembly.
Three major US nuclear utilities have joined an alliance formed by Westinghouse and Ameren to support the licensing and deployment of Westinghouse small modular reactor (SMR) technology.